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Are you surprised to find this subject on this site?
This is not our area of expertise, but we believe that the information on this page could be useful to any parent. It is copied from a leaflet produced by Honeybee Publications Ltd. Other sites on this subject are the National Drugs Helpline, the charity DrugScope and the Department of Health.
What to do in an emergency
Drugs affect everyone differently. The effects can depend on the amount taken, the user's mood and their
surroundings. Sometimes people suffer a bad reaction. It's important to know what to do if you find someone is ill after taking a drug or drinking too much alcohol.
Amphetamines (speed), cannabis, ecstasy, (LSD and magic mushrooms can sometimes make the user feel tense and panicky.
If this happens calm them and be reassuring. Try not to panic. Speak in a normal voice and if you feel scared or worried, try not to let them see
it. Explain that the feelings will pass. Encourage them to settle in a quiet, dimly lit room if they start breathing very quickly, calm them down and tell them to take long slow breaths.
Heroin, tranquillisers and misuse of gases, glues and aerosols can make the user feel very drowsy.
If this happens calm them and be reassuring. Speak in a low, quiet voice and try not to
panic. Don't frighten or startle them, or let them exert themselves. Never give coffee to rouse them if symptoms
persist. Place them in the recovery position and don't hesitate to call an ambulance if they don't start to become more alert.
Drinking too much alcohol can cause someone to become unconscious. This can also happen if someone uses heroin or tranquillisers, misuses gases, glues and aerosols, suffers a bad reaction to ecstasy or if an ecstasy-user dances energetically without taking regular breaks or drinking enough
fluids. An overdose of most drugs will also cause unconsciousness.
If this happens dial 999 straight away and ask for an ambulance. Never feel worried to involve the emergency
services. Place them in the recovery position so they won't choke if they vomit; check
breathing. Be prepared to do mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, keep them warm but not too
hot. However, if someone has taken ecstasy, and you think they may have overheated, make sure they have plenty of cool fresh air and remove any excess clothing such as a hat, gloves
etc. Stay with them at all times. If you need to leave to call an ambulance, go straight back, or leave someone else with them and if you know what drug has been taken, tell the ambulance
crew. If you find drugs but you're not sure what they are, give them to the ambulance
crew. If someone is heavily under the influence of alcohol don't leave them to sleep it off alone because there is a risk of choking if they
vomit. Keep an eye on them- make sure they sleep on their side, and check that they keep breathing.
Recovery position
An unconscious person should be gently moved into the recovery position so their tongue cannot fall back and prevent breathing.
For information on local first aid courses, call St. John's Ambulance on (0171 235 5231), or contact your local British Red Cross Branch.
LEARNING ABOUT DRUGS -
Amphetamines/Speed
Known as: Billy, Wiz, Crystal, Glass, Ice, Sulphate, Uppers, Speed
What does it look like? Amphetamines are man-made drugs and are usually a whitish powder with a bitter
taste. They can be sniffed taken as a tablet or injected when in liquid form.
The Law: Class B, moving up to class A if prepared for injection.
Cost: £10/£15 for a gram. Dealers often mix it with other white powders (talcum powder, toilet cleaner to rate poison) increasing the amount of powder and the money they make.
Effects: Speeds up breathing and heart rate and makes user feel energetic and sometimes exhilarated and
confident. Even at low doses speed can cause mood swings, temper tantrums, irritability, violent tempers and suffer skin problems.
Health Risks: You can become mentally dependent upon them and can cause severe
depression. Can cause deep feelings of fear and mental illness. Puts strain on heart by raising blood
pressure. Leaves user feeling depressed, tired and physically run down due to lack of food and sleep.
Cannabis
Known as: Blow, Dope, Draw, Ganga, Gear, Grass, Hash, Marijuana, Pot, Skunk, Week
What does it look like? A small solid dark brown lump known as
"resin". Dried flowers, stalks, and leaves called "Grass". It is usually smoked in hand rolled cigarettes called a joint, reefer or splif.
It can also be taken in food or drink.
The law: Cannabis is a Class B drug.
Cost: £15/£25 for a 1/4 ounce and makes around 20o cannabis cigarettes.
Effects: Cannabis is a mild depressant, which means it makes you feel relaxed, talkative and friendly.
Health Risks: You can feel worried and lose your short term memory and
concentration. One of the main dangers of cannabis is the state of intoxication
itself. The person may not be able to drive cross roads or operate machinery
safely. People do not become physically dependant on cannabis but like tobacco smoking may cause respiratory diseases such as bronchitis or lung cancer.
Cocaine:
Known as: Coke, Charlie, Snow, Draw, Toot
What does it look like? A white powder derived from the leaf of the coca
plant. It is chopped into fine lines using a razor blade and snorted. Sometimes it is injected.
The Law: Cocaine is a Class A drug.
Cost: £50 to £80 a gram. Cocaine is very expensive so dealers mix it with anything else white and powdery.
Effects: Cocaine is a stimulant with short-lived effects of up to 30
minutes. You feel a rush of excitement, a sense of well being and confidence.
Health Risks: The effects and longer-term consequences of the drug are similar to those of
amphetamine. When you are a regular user of cocaine you become very dependent on its Effects: Rapid psychological dependence can occur and you have to take bigger doses and more and more often to get the same effect from
it. Repeated sniffing can damage your nostrils. Too many doses can lead to breathing problems or even heart
failure. High spending on cocaine is often associated with debt and violence.
Crack
Known as: Rock, Base, Wash, Pebbles, Scud
What does it look like? Crack is basically a form of cocaine that has been treated with chemicals to make it smokeable.
Often appears as yellow, pinkish or waxy white "rocks" similar to dried milk. It is smoked in a pipe or burnt on tin foil and inhaled (this is known as freebasing).
The law: Crack is a Class A drug.
Cost: £10/£15 for a small rock that contains around a 1/4 gram of cocaine.
Effects: A strong stimulant drug that goes straight to the brain when
smoked. You get a strong rush from this but it only lasts a matter of minutes.
Health Risks: It is very easy to become dependant on crack. It makes you feel worried, restless and frightened almost all the
time. As with cocaine can give you breathing problems or cause hear failure. Crack addicts have been known to spend £1000 in one weekend feeding their
habit. You feel very tired and depressed and your head and body ache. You are desperate for more of the drug to take you back up again, and so take away the unpleasant effects of coming down from a crack high.
Heroin
Known as: Brown, Gear, H, Heaven, Horse, Junk, Skag and Smack.
What does it look like? Heroin is light brown powder (or fluffy white when it's pure) that can be smoked, eaten or dissolved in water and
injected. Generally it contains other substances such as glucose, talc or brick
dust. It belongs to a group of drugs known as opiates which come from the opium poppy.
The Law: Heroin is a Class A drug.
Cost: £50/£90 per gram. Cut with other substances and wrapped in small "wraps" for £5/£10.
Effects: Small doses give the user a sense of warmth and well being, larger doses can lead to drowsiness and
sedation. Any worries or pain you might be feeling will fade away. The effects can last for several hours.
Health Risks: Heroin is addictive even when smoked. You become mentally and physically dependant on
heroin. When you are hooked, you have to take more and more heroin to get high. Then you get to the point where you have to take more and more heroin to get
high. Then you get to the point where you have to take it just to feel normal and escape from the very unpleasant withdrawal
symptoms. It is very easy to take an overdose, fall into a coma or die. Injecting with a needle damages veins and runs the risk of contracting dangerous infections like Hepatitis B or C and HIV.
Ecstasy
Known as: E, Disco Biscuits, Doves, Dennis the Menace, Hug Drug, Fantasy
What does it look like? Ecstasy comes in tablets or capsules of different shapes and colours but usually small white tablets which normally have symbols on
them. The tablets or capsules are swallowed.
The law: Ecstasy is a Class A drug.
Cost: £8 to £15 for one tablet. Often contains other substances.
Effects: The effects start after 20 minutes and can last several hours. Users say you start to get a buzzing sensation all over and a feeling of calmness and heightened perceptions of music and colour.
You feel friendly towards people around you and more aware of what's going on. Your mouth feels dry, your blood pressure rises and your heart beats
faster. You may feel sick.
Health Risks: Nobody is quite sure what the long term effects of Ecstasy are, although it has been linked with liver failure and brain
damage. There have been many deaths that have been put down to Ecstasy. There is danger of overdosing and dehydration which is similar to severe heatstroke.
LSD
Known as: Acid, Rips, Tabs, Trips, Blotters, Dots
What does it look like? LSD is a man-made chemical (lysergic acid diethylamide) and is most commonly found impregnated onto small squares of blotting paper about 8mm
square. These squares usually carry colourful, abstract designs or pictures of cartoons or film characters.
The Law: LSD is a Class A drug.
Cost: £1.50 to £5 for a tab
Effects: Your mind does on a trip. You see bright colours, strange sights and sounds, sense of movement can speed up or down; the effects can last up to 12
hours. Can be very enjoyable, or frightening, panic and paranoia may follow.
Health Risks: The long term effects of LSD aren't certain. There is a risk of flashbacks, which are vivid visions of a previous trip re-lived sometime after the
event. The main danger of any hallucinogenic drug is that is can complicate mental health problems and may trigger a psychotic response in somebody whose condition was undiagnosed.
Solvents:
Known as: Nose-bag, Stick-up, Spray
What does it look like? Solvents are the powerful chemicals found in glue, aerosols, cleaning and correction fluids, cigarette lighter fluid, petrol, nail polish,
paints. Most homes contain some of these.
The law: Solvent sniffing is not illegal; after drinking and smoking, solvents are the substances that young people are most likely to experiment with.
Cost: The products that contain these solvents can be purchased from £1.
Effects: Effects come on and disappear almost as fast. The experience is like being drunk and users often feel light headed and dizzy, or dreamy and have scary
hallucinations. Others feel sick, tired, frightened and drowsy. You might have a headache or become unconscious, and if you are sick, even choke on your own vomit.
Health Risks: Young people die every week from solvent abuse in the UK. Regular use can be habit forming and difficult to
break. You will feel tired and depressed and find it difficult to concentrate. Sniffing solvents can cause permanent brain damage, suffocation, liver, lung and kidney problems and even heart failure.
Alcohol: Young people see alcohol on sale all around them, in supermarkets, off-licences, pubs,
restaurants. It is important for your child to be aware of the risks. Some types of drinks preferred by young people are much stronger than average strong beers and
ciders. There can be as much alcohol in a 330ml bottle of "alco-pop" as a generous shot of
whisky. 1000 young people under the age of 15 are admitted to hospital annually with alcohol poisoning, all need emergency
treatment. After drinking alcohol young people are much more likely to have an accident and some are more likely to be involved in a
fight. More than a few alcoholic drinks can cause you to lose control become confused and also severely change your behaviour. Heavy drinking can lead to vomiting, collapse and
unconsciousness. Long term heavy drinking known as alcoholism can result in liver disease, cancer, pancreatitis and ulcers.
Tobacco
Cigarette smoke contains a deadly cocktail of tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide (the same gas a car exhaust pumps
out). Smokers claim it helps them relax. It also dramatically raises their chances of suffering from heart disease, cancers of all types, strokes, bronchitis, ulcers and blood clots.
Every year in the UK more than 100,000 people die early deaths because of tobacco related diseases.
If you want to give up tobacco, or drugs, or lose weight visit http://www.allencarrseasyway.com - you might be impressed.
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